The Second Most Common Form of Mesothelioma: Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a deadly disease which in most cases is preventable. It is precisely this preventability that has raised the visibility of this disease. If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, it is a good idea to acquire the assistance of a mesothelioma lawyer or attorney to discuss the feasibility of filing a mesothelioma lawsuit as you may be eligible to receive a mesothelioma settlement. Also, if someone you know has mesothelioma or has died of the disease, talk with them or their family and recommend that they follow-up with a mesothelioma lawyer.
Within the family of asbestos related diseases called mesothelioma, there is a particular form of cancer which attacks the abdominal lining known as peritoneal mesothelioma. The cause of peritoneal mesothelioma has been identified as exposure to asbestos and asbestos products. Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the lining of the abdomen called the peritoneal and because of this, when an individual is diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma, they may also have medical issues related to other organs surrounding the abdomen as well.
Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the body's ability to protect the organs in this region by compromising the ability to keep the organs lubricated which enables them shift around and function appropriately. If you research peritoneal mesothelioma, you will discover that it can also be described as diffuse peritoneal mesothelioma. When you hear this term it simply means that the cancer has left the peritoneal lining of the abdomen and has affected other organs nearby. Peritoneal mesothelioma is credited to be the cause of almost ten percent of all mesothelioma cases and, because of this, it ranks second as the most common form of asbestos related mesothelioma.
The most common form is called pleural mesothelioma.
The greatest problem with any form of mesothelioma is that it is infamous for having a long incubation or latency. During this period it is in the body growing unbeknownst to the individual and not affecting health and functioning.
More often than not, peritoneal mesothelioma cells lie dormant for years before they become active and create obvious symptoms. When symptoms do appear it regrettably indicates that the disease has advanced to a late stage. In most cases the delay in the appearance of symptoms and subsequent diagnosis of the disease adversely affects the prospects for the individual.
One reason for the late diagnosis of peritoneal mesothelioma has been given to the fact that the first or earliest symptoms of the disease are so similar to other less traumatic diseases and ailments that an individual spends a great deal of time being treated for the wrong ailment. It is a general approach for all medical situations to rule out the less virulent causes of an illness before jumping to the conclusion that a more serious situation is present.
So a physician most likely will take the approach to rule out more common reasons for symptoms and only when these don't pan out will he begin considering more serious roots for the illness. When this stage of diagnosing is reached, a diagnosis of peritoneal mesothelioma will be considered.
Mesothelioma is rare, even though it may not feel that way if you or a loved one has been stricken by it. It is exactly this rareness that makes it a diagnosis made by ruling our more common potential illnesses. If the physician takes a comprehensive medical history and discovers an individual has worked in an occupation where they have likely been around or exposed to asbestos or related products, he will know to investigate meosthelioma as a potential cause of the illness. If an individual is aware that they have worked around asbestos, it is a good idea to bring this information up with a physician as soon as there is an illness where the cause is not known.
It is well known that all cancers, as well as other illnesses, present with a variety of symptoms that may be peculiar to that disease and/or to many other diseases. Generally speaking, though someone suffering from peritoneal mesothelioma will complain of abdominal pain, they will become frail or weak, have a loss in weight, be nauseated and vomit, have a loss of appetite, exhibit swelling of the abdomen and may have an obstruction in the bowel.
Because peritoneal mesothelioma spreads to adjoining organs, symptoms other than abdominal may be exhibited such as difficulty breathing and extreme pain.
Contact a mesothelioma attorney if you have mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma: Available Treatments

Treatment of malignant mesothelioma can be very difficult for a wide variety of reasons. First and foremost, mesothelioma can be difficult to correctly diagnose and may not show up in a patient for decades. This can create problems for treatment because with mesothelioma, as with all cancers, treatment is more difficult the longer the disease has been allowed to progress. In addition to the difficulties created by delayed treatment of mesothelioma, the disease often does not respond to traditional cancer treatments, further complicating treatment. Also, the organs that are involved in mesothelioma cannot be partially or wholly removed usually, which means that surgical options can be extremely limited. Lastly, the fact that the majority of mesothelioma patients are men of advanced age, usually over 50, means that some more radical treatment approaches cannot be used because of declining health due to old age.

Altogether, this can mean that even mesothelioma patients that have been recently diagnosed can be given a fairly negative prognosis from their doctos. Statistics are hard to come by, but British scientists suggest that 10% of newly diagnosed mesothelioma patients will live for at least three more years; Only 5% will live five years or longer. For patients in the first stage, 50% live for at least two more years. However doctors can be mistaken, and a diagnosis of mesothelioma is in no way always tantamount to a death sentence. In one famous case, scientist Stephen Jay Gould survived with peritoneal mesothelioma for almost twenty years. Eventually, he died from another kind of cancer.

There are four stages of malignant mesothelioma, which measure how far the disease has progressed. How a patient's mesothelioma is treated depends largely on which stage he or she is in when the disease is found.

* Stage I: Localized mesothelioma that exists only in the lungs, the diaphragm or the pericardial lining.

* Stage II: Advanced mesothelioma that has spread into the lymph nodes of the chest.

* Stage III: Advanced mesotheioma that has spread into the wall of the chest, the center of the chest, the lining of the heart and the diaphragm. Stage III malignant mesothelioma may or may not have spread to the lymph nodes.

* Stage IV: Advanced mesothelioma that has spread far from the chest and abdomen into other organs.

Surgery

Patients with Stage I or milder Stage II mesothelioma are generally offered one or more of the conventional cancer treatments: surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. For early-stage patients, surgery for mesothelioma aims to cure the disease by literally cutting the cancer out of the patient's body. The most common type of surgery for pleural mesothelioma is a pleurectomy/decortication, which is where doctors remove all or part of the tissues lining the lungs and chest cavity. If doctors find that they can't remove the cancer without removing the lung underneath those tissues, they may remove one lung as well; this is called a pneumonectomy. A more radical type of surgery for pleural mesothelioma is called an extrapleural pneunonectomy (EPP). In the case of an EPP, surgeons will remove parts of one lung, the pleura, the diaphragm, and the lining of the heart. These are quite dangerous and difficult types of surgery, which will not be recommended lightly by doctors or surgeons.

Patients with peritoneal mesothelioma — the kind that affects the abdomen — may be offered cytoredutive surgery. In this surgery, doctors are trying to remove all of the cancerous tissue they can find in the abdomen and gut. Doctors may also opt for a peritonectomy, in which the entire lining of the abdomen is removed. Again, this is not an easy surgery and may not be possible for everyone, but it has been successful in some patients. Patients with pericardial mesothelioma are not generally offered surgery.

Radiation and Chemotherapy

In addition to or instead of surgery, doctors may offer an early-stage mesothelioma patient chemotherapy, radiation or both. Radiation and chemotherapy are designed to kill the cancer cells without killing the patient. Unfortuantely, in order to kill the cancerous cells, these treatments often kill healthy cells as well. This is why cancer patients often lose their hair, have trouble eating and feel generally weak and sick during treatment. Doctors who prescribe chemotherapy or radiation may also suggest dietary supplements or other measures to control these symptoms.

Chemotherapy is any treatment where patients are given chemical medication specifically designed to attack the cancer cells as the undergo cell division. The drug is swallowed or injected into the bloodstream regularly over a period of weeks or months, in cycles that give a patient some recovery time in between treatments. A patient could stay at home, only requiring visits to a doctor's office for treatments; sometimes, they can even have the treatments at home. In some cases, doctors may choose to apply chemotherapy drugs directly to the cancerous tissue; this requires surgery, so patients must check into a hospital. There are many different kinds of chemotherapy drugs, and scientists are trying to develop better ones every day.

Radiation therapy seeks to kill the cancer cells with high-energy rays of radiation, such as x-rays, that stop them from growing. With external-beam radiation, patients will be subjected to directed rays of radiation directed as specific parts of the body affected by cancer. This treatment lasts about 30 minutes a day and is given in the exact same way each day over a period of weeks. In internal radiation therapy (brachytherapy), doctors put a container of radioactive material next to the cancerous tissue, using surgery or an existing body cavity. Some will be left in the body; others will be removed and replaced. Lastly, radiopharmaceuticals are sometimes used to administer radiation treatments, with the drugs being either injected, inserted into a body cavity or swallowed.

Getting Organized When Diagnosed With Mesothelioma

Being diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer or another major illness can be overwhelming.  You may be experiencing sadness, anger, confusion, and many other emotions.  One way to decrease some of your burden is to get organized and put your affairs in order.  I advise my clients and their loved ones to find a system that works for them and ask for help to get the project done.  Your system should allow you and your caregivers to more easily navigate your medical, financial, and legal needs.

Steps to help you and those close to you to get organized:

1. Store all of your important information in one place.  Get a file cabinet or filing system and get a notebook.  Keep all your documents filed.  Use the notebook to keep track of medical, financial, and legal information you may need on the go.
2. Tell someone you trust where all your information is kept.  You never know when someone else may need to step in to assist you or access your information. 
3. Arrange for someone to take over for you if needed in the future.  Complete necessary steps for someone to take over medical, financial, and legal issues if you are unable to do so.  This may include advance directives for healthcare and durable power of attorney for other decisions.

Types of information to gather:
Personal

• Social security number
• Legal residence
• Names and addresses of spouse and children
• Family records (birth and death certificates, certificates of marriage, divorce, citizenship, and adoption)
• Education records
• Military records (or dd-214) if you have them
• Employers and dates of employment
• Union records
• Co-workers names and contact information (it might be helpful to look through Christmas card lists)
• If self-employed any old invoices, receipts, records, etc.
• Names and phone numbers of relatives and close friends

Medical

• List of medical providers names and contact information
• List of current medications and treatments
• Medical records (regarding the cancer)
• Death certificate (if the mesothelioma or lung cancer victim is deceased)
• Pathology report
• Copy of advance directives or durable power of attorney for health care

Financial

• Sources of income and assets (retirement funds, IRAs, 401(k)s, interest, etc.)
• Social Security and Medicare information
• Insurance information (life, health, long-term care, home, car) with policy numbers and agent names and phone numbers
• Banks and account information (checking, savings, credit union)
• Investment income (stocks, bonds, property) and stockbrokers' names and contact information
• Copy of your most recent tax return
• Mortgages and debt (including how and when to be paid)
• Location of original deed of trust for home, car title, and registration
• Location of safe deposit box and key (if applicable)

Legal

• Will, Power of Attorney, Trust or and other legal documents
•  Any records from any other attorney they may have worked with regarding their asbestos exposure

Distribution plan for miRview meso test (Mesothelioma diagnosis test)

Rosetta Genomics (the developer of the test) and Warnex Medical Laboratories (a life science company that provides services to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries) announced an exclusive distribution agreement for Rosetta's diagnostic tests.  One of these tests is the miRview meso test which uses microRNA molecular technology to differentiate mesothelioma from other cancers in the lung.  The use of this new test could mean more accurate diagnosis and more efficient  treatment options for mesothelioma patients.

As a provider, I find myself hopeful when reading about new research and diagnostic tools for mesothelioma and other cancers.  I feel we are getting closer to better diagnostic tools, more effective treatments, higher quality of life, and my clients living longer.  I look forward to hearing more about this new test and the implications for the mesothelioma community.

What Not to Say to Someone With Mesothelioma or Lung Cancer

When a loved one or a friend is diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or other type of cancer, you may have a difficult time finding the right thing to say.  You may have good intentions of being sympathetic and supportive, but sometimes our words can have the opposite affect.  Researchers have found that our well meaning statements sometimes cause our loved one to shut down and at times feel worse.
Below are the six common sayings to avoid and some suggestions for what to say instead.  Adapted from Psychiatrist Jeffrey Knajdl, director of psycho-oncology services at Creighton University (Omaha, Nebraska):

1.  Avoid saying:  "Everything is going to be all right."  – instead try:  "I'll be here with you and we'll make it through this together."
2.  Avoid:  "I know how you feel." – try:  "How are your mood and spirits holding up through this?"
3.  Avoid:  "Try to keep a positive attitude, relax, and avoid stress.  It can help you heal." – try:  Asking what you can do specifically to help your loved one.  If they are worried about finances, help them get their finances organized.
4.  Avoid:  "We can beat this." – try:  Reminding your loved one that you are there to care for, support, and make them as comfortable as possible during treatment.
5.  Avoid:  "Now, now, don't get yourself all worked up." - try:  Offering the comfort of your presence or a hug.
6.  "Congratulations, you're done with chemo (or radiation)." – try:  Giving the person a chance to express how they are feeling by asking open ended questions.

Remember you don't always have to know the right thing to say.  When you don't know what to say it's okay to show your support in silence.  I've had clients tell me it's okay to actually say "I don't know what to say, but I love you and support you. "  Our job as a loved one and a caregiver is to listen and let the patient tell us how best to support them.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Mesothelioma

When you or a loved one is diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or any other serious illness, you may feel overwhelmed and unsure.  Often clients can decrease some of this stress by becoming actively involved in their medical care.  By asking questions and learning about your new diagnosis, you may feel  more in control of your treatment options.  Below I have listed ten questions you may find helpful when talking to your medical providers.
I also suggest keeping a notebook or journal for all your medical information.  You can write down the contact information for each of your medical providers, information about tests you have received and the results, medications and side effects, and any symptoms you may be experiencing.  Having all this information in one place will help you and your caregivers when visiting your healthcare provider.  The notebook may also be a place you can write down questions between appointments, so that you remember to ask when you are in the office.

10 Questions You May Want to Ask Your Doctor (when first diagnosed with mesothelioma)
1.  What type of mesothelioma do I have?
2.  What is the stage of my mesothelioma and what does that mean to me?
3.  What are my treatment options?
4.  What treatment options do you recommend and why?
5.  Where will I receive my treatment?
6.  What are the risks of the treatments you suggest?  What are the benefits?
7.  What kind of side effects may I experience from my mesothelioma treatment?  How may they affect my daily life?
8.  What can I do to prepare for mesothelioma treatment?
9.  Should I consider participating in a clinical trial?  Where do I find information about current clinical trials?
10.  What can I expect based on my diagnosis and your experience with mesothelioma?

You may want to add additional questions to this list and to continue to ask questions as your treatment progresses.  Remember that visits to the doctor are often brief and it has helped my clients to be prepared.  You may also find it helpful to bring a loved one or friend with you to your appointments (both for support and to help understand all this new information).

Mesothelioma, a Cancer You Shouldn’t Have Had to Deal With

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos. This disease attacks the protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs and in almost all cases is fatal, although new treatments for cancer are always underdevelopment giving us hope we may live cancer free sometime in the future.
You can avoid mesothelioma by not exposing yourself to asbestos. Typically a worker was exposed to asbestos on their job. In the past asbestos was widely used in the large industrial manufacturing industry, the automotive industry and the heating and ventilating industry. Typical exposure is from inhaling asbestos dust a by product of manufacturing. When the worker goes home, their family experiences secondary exposure to the asbestos dust on their clothing.
In residential construction during 1960's and 1970's, asbestos was commonly use to seal leaks and seams on heating ducts in residential houses and in other heating and ventilation systems. Exposure to asbestos dust comes when the asbestos seal begins to breakdown and gives off the deadly asbestos dust particles. So, if you are buying an older home, be certain to have it inspected for asbestos. If found, asbestos can be removed or sealed with a protective cover to prevent exposure to humans.
Detection of mesothelioma and drawing the connection between work-related hazards wasn't always realized. It has only come to light recently that large corporations were negligent in exposing their workers to asbestos dust. This is due to the fact that it takes some time for the cancer to form. Most families were so consumed with helping their loved ones; they failed to realize the cancer they were battling was actually caused by the working conditions of a loved one.
If an individual was exposed to asbestos during their working career then the corporation employing them is at fault and is responsible for the damages resulting from the asbestos caused mesothelioma. Individuals and families battling mesothelioma and facing the loss of a loved one need realize and understand their legal rights.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma then you need to consult with a mesothelioma lawyer to understand your legal rights. This type of lawyer is experienced with asbestos related cases and taking on the large corporations and winning. Typically, a mesothelioma lawyer will review your case at little or no charge to evaluate if you have a case. If it is determined you do they will handle the lawsuit for damages from the corporation responsible.
It is a shame to think your life or a loved ones life is cut short due to the negligence of a corporation not controlling the exposure to asbestos. You may be uncomfortable with a lawsuit, but it is your legal right to seek adequate compensation for your life or a loved ones being cut short and the resulting impact of not being able to provide for the family any longer.
Asbestos caused mesothelioma is a preventable disease and it's sad to think an employee who works hard for a corporation is actually killed slowly by the exposure to asbestos. If you're dealing with mesothelioma in your life, seek the help of a mesothelioma lawyer to ensure your financial future peace of mind while you and your family deal with the loss of a loved one.